Disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, four American soldiers (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze) attempt to steal $23 million in gold bullion hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army. But when confronted by wartime atrocities and Iraqi rebels abandoned by fickle U.S. policy, they find they have no choice but to intervene. This acclaimed, brashly original 1999 film has been described as a hybrid of M*A*S*H, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Dr. Strangelove, filled with black humor, unflinching realism, and a keen sense of the absurd. The Boston Society of Film Critics declared it the Best Film of the year and rewarded director David O. Russell's audacious visual style with Best Director honors.